Wednesday, January 30, 2008

I moved away from home at age 17, rebellious and angry. I lived in quite a few states around the U.S., looking for the greener grass, as they say. I tell people now that I found greener grass almost everywhere I lived. So it is true that the grass can be greener on the other side! Here in Northern Minnesota and especially right now, we are moving around a frozen tundra like ice men and women, chipped right out of glacier or something. During my time away, when I would call home to mom, I would tell her how lovely it was in California, where I could wear my shorts on the porch in January; or how nice the mountains were in Montana and how friendly the people were. Then there was Florida, where the people weren't nice at all and the humidity could kill people from dryer climates in about 1/2 an hour (but the beaches, oh the beaches!!!) Mom always said the same thing to me everytime I finished my recital about better places to live, "It's not where you are honey, it's who you're with!"

Well, I've been back in Minnesota now for about 10 years, and my mothers advice rings truer each year. Sure, the misquito's will literally eat you alive in July, the army worms will take over your entire plant system, you won't be shocked to wake up to 14 degrees in April and come January and February you might as well get a warm quilt out, put on your long johns and snuggle up to your hubby for the entire two month! Still, like tonight when I had to run to the store for something in 30 below zero, I came home to four happy children having evening devotions with their dad, a fire burning in the fireplace and a warm hubby to cuddle up to for the night. Mom was right again, it's really not where you are, it's who your with!